Ice of Knowledge
by Erisonii
Summary: Due to an accident on the city streets, Kurama & Amara cross paths. They & their groups have their own special powers, so they join forces to fight a series of enemies from a past forgotten to all of them. It seems Kurama's about to gain a new power!
1. The Meeting

*Gateway to Forever begins playing*  
  
*Blue flower petals fall in front of a black background, then the black fades into a scene where Kurama's trapped in blue ice, unconscious (the flower petals stopped falling when the black faded away). Scenes from the anime play in the ice below him, then camera spins so it's moving up the ice formation & spinning around it at the same time. Camera focuses on Kurama's closed eyes. His eyes snap open & they glow. Camera focuses on his symbol of Mercury & dissolves into a scene where the Soldiers (including Amy) are riding in Amara's car. Camera zooms in on Amara's eyes & morphs into a scene where Michelle, Lita, Amara, & Hotaru are wearing their battle outfits & holding their talismans. Michelle & Lita leap to the left, while Amara & Hotaru leap to the right to avoid a blast of dark energy from a man who looks like Kurama but with blue hair & eyes (Hermes). Changes to a scene where Kuwabara, Hiei, Kurama, & Yusuke are launching a missing assault of punches & kicks at Hermes. Scene switches to the Detectives (including teen Koenma) riding in a car that Koenma's driving. They pull alongside the Soldiers & everyone except Amara & Hiei (they only smirk) waves at the other group. Scene switches again to all ten members running in a field, Kurama & Amara leading them. They both leap over a cliff. Close up of Kurama's eyes, then switches to a scene where Kurama's holding an unconscious Amara in his arms & crying out while being struck by dark energy. Switches to a scene where Kurama's whipping his Aqua Whip around. Changes to final scene. The Detectives are standing on the left side of the screen, while the Soldiers are standing on the right. (Koenma & Amy are there, too.) Each is facing their partner, their hair blowing about in the wind. The title appears on the screen in between the two groups.*  
  
Kurama walked down the sidewalk to Yusuke's apartment slowly. It had been several weeks since the defeat of Team Toguro at the Dark Tournament, but he was still having nightmares of his fight with Karasu. He shuddered at the images he kept having in his head. Kurama was now crossing the road, but was still thinking, so he stopped halfway across. He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize that the light had turned green. The sound of screeching tires brought him back to reality. He looked up & his eyes widened when he saw a motorcycle headed right for him, screeching to a halt. He leaped to the side just as the motorcycle stopped right where he'd been standing.  
  
Kurama lay still, wondering if he should get up. A hand placed itself on his shoulder & shook him. "Hey, are you alright? Come on, say something!!" a voice urged. Kurama opened his green eyes & raised his head, then he turned around & found himself staring into a pair of navy eyes. The owner of the hand, voice, & eyes was a guy with short, sandy hair. Kurama looked at the guy's outfit & realized he was the motorcyclist who nearly ran him over. The guy was worried. "Are you okay?" he asked Kurama. Kurama smiled at him. "Yes, I'm fine," he answered the worried motorcyclist. The guy sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I'm so sorry about that," he said, embarrassed. Kurama shook his head & smiled again, saying, "No, it's alright. It was my fault for stopping in the middle of the road like that."  
  
The motorist stood up & held out his hand. Kurama grasped it & was pulled to his feet. The motorist smiled at him & said, "The least I can do is drive you to wherever you're going." Kurama shook his head. "No, it's okay. I can walk there. It's not too far." The motorist shook his head. "It's my apology for nearly running you over," he said. Kurama smiled at him. "Alright, I'll ride. I've never ridden on a motorcycle before anyway," he added. The motorist grinned. "Alright!!! First, you'll have to put this on," he explained, handing Kurama a blue helmet. He put a navy one on his own head. "Second, you'll have to give me directions to your destination." Kurama put the helmet on & climbed on the back of the motorcycle, putting his arms around the motorist's waist. "Hold on tight!!" the guy warned. Kurama nodded, then tightened his grip. With that, they sped off down the street.  
  
Kurama had to admit, this guy was extremely skilled on a motorcycle. He gave the directions needed to reach Yusuke's apartment, & when they pulled up, he got off & handed the helmet back to the motorist. "Thank you," he said politely, bowing to the boy. The guy took his helmet off & grinned. "We didn't introduce ourselves yet, Mr. Polite," he said. Kurama blushed slightly at this nickname. "I'm Souichi Minamino," he said, holding out his hand to the guy, smiling. "Amara Tenou," he answered, gripping Kurama's hand & shaking it, smiling back. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Tenou," Kurama said. Amara looked at him in surprise, then burst out laughing. Kurama raised an eyebrow & asked, "What's so funny, Amara?" Amara wiped tears from his eyes & placed his helmet back on before answering, "Souichi, I'm a girl!!" With that said, Amara sped off on her motorcycle, leaving Kurama stunned. 'He's… a she!?' he thought in shock.  
  
"So Kurama, who was that guy on the motorcycle?" Kuwabara asked his red-haired friend when he walked in the door. Kurama blushed & told Koenma, Kuwabara, Hiei, & Yusuke the whole story. "This Amara Tenou guy nearly ran you over, so he gave you a ride over here, huh?" Koenma asked. Kurama nodded, then added, "But Amara's actually a girl." At this, the room went quiet. "That guy was a girl?!" Koenma, Kuwabara, & Yusuke all yelled at the same time. Hiei just smirked. Yusuke suddenly thought of something, then grinned in a way that let the others know he had gotten an idea about that particular fact. Kurama braced himself; he knew Yusuke well enough to know what was coming.  
  
Yusuke looked at Kurama slyly, then asked, "Before she left, did you two schedule a date for next Thursday or something?" Kurama went as red as his hair. Yusuke, Kuwabara, & Koenma all cracked up, & Hiei chuckled at this. Kurama sighed & shook his head. Sometimes he wondered why he still hung around these three. Meanwhile, Hiei had a thought. 'That girl, Amara, she had a strange aura around her… I wonder what it means…' He thought on about why Amara had the aura she did: The aura of one who has rode the wind many times, & one who has great magnificence in nearly everything they did. While Hiei pondered this, Koenma & Kuwabara were laughing at Yusuke, who was cursing & trying to yank out some red roses sticking out of his hair, courtesy of Kurama, who was sitting in a chair by the window, smiling at his brilliance.  
  
Back with Amara, she drove up to her house & parked the motorcycle in the garage. 'Amy's gonna yell at me for arriving late, & Michelle's gonna hit me for it. Errgh, why did I have to give that guy a ride? I guess it's 'cause that's the only way I knew of to apologize. What was his name again? Oh yeah!!! Souichi… Nice name,' she thought as she turned the doorknob & pushed the door open. "Hey guys!! Sorry I'm late," she apologized. Just as Amara feared, Amy yelled at her & Michelle pounded her. Lita found the ceiling very interesting, & Hotaru became just as interested as Lita was with the ceiling, except with the floor.  
  
After Amy & Michelle were done, they sat down, as did Amara. "Now, we're having this meeting to discuss something," Michelle said. Lita raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" she asked. Amy sighed & explained, "I've lost my powers." Lita, Amara, & Hotaru stared at the now former Soldier of Ice & Knowledge in horror. "What?!?! How?!?!" Amara asked, shocked. Amy shook her head. "I don't know. I was training with Michelle as Sailor Mercury, when suddenly, we both untransformed. Michelle still had her powers, but when I tried contacting Mercury, it wouldn't give me any power at all. It's almost as if I were only a temporary host of Mercury's Ice of Knowledge. & now, the real heir to throne of Mercury has received their power, or is coming close to achieving their power," she explained to them. Hotaru shook her head, whispering, "That can't be right. That just can't be right at all." 


	2. An Encounter with a New Foe

Later that day, Amara & Hotaru were riding around downtown Tokyo. "I still say that can't be right," Hotaru said to Amara, holding on tightly. Amara said nothing; she was too busy thinking about Kurama. 'Souichi… He had a strange aura… It was… sort of cold… I wonder, is he the one? The real ruler & heir to the throne of Mercury? Nah, that can't be it. There's no way a guy can be a ruler of one of the planets!! Is there?' she thought long & hard about proof that he wasn't Mercury's true future ruler. Hotaru sensed that something was on Amara's mind, so she let her think all she wanted.  
  
A few minutes later, they pulled up to their favorite restaurant, Paradise Cafe. Amara & Hotaru both got off, took off their helmets (Amara's was navy & Hotaru's was purple), then walked inside, where they sat down in their usual seat. A waiter with long, blue hair & eyes came up to them & smiled. "Amara!! Hotaru!! The usual, I presume?" he asked cheerfully. Amara turned to him & smiled back. "Yes, Semreh," she replied. He nodded, still smiling at her, then walked off to get their food. Hotaru giggled, making Amara suspicious of what was going on through the firefly's head. "What is it?" she asked wearily. Hotaru grinned & answered, "I think Semreh loves you." Amara shook her head, smiling at the firefly that was her adopted daughter, before stating, "You read too many of Amy's romance novels, Firefly." Hotaru laughed at this statement.  
  
Just then, the door of the restaurant opened, & in came five young men. The first had short hair like Amara's, except it was brown instead of sand, & his eyes were yellow. The second was an ugly guy who had orange hair & brown eyes that were like dots in his head as far as Amara & Hotaru could tell. The third caused Amara's eyes to widen. 'Souichi?!?! So these guys must be his friends. Why's he here?' she pondered as she watched him walk in. The fourth made Amara & Hotaru slap their hands over their mouths to keep themselves from cracking up at the sight of him: The guy had black hair that stuck up like a flame & eyes that were brown. What made the two force themselves to keep from laughing was that the guy was very short, probably a head or two shorter than Hotaru. The fifth & final guy had black hair that had been slicked back & brown eyes that were scanning the entire room as if he were trying to find something that interested him.  
  
Amara noticed that they were looking for a seat, so she shrugged, then stood & called, "Souichi!! You & your friends can sit over here with us!!" Kurama turned at the sound of his human name, & his eyes widened when he saw who had called to him. "Amara?!?! What are you doing here?!?!" he exclaimed in shock. She laughed. "This is my favorite restaurant!!! I just finished a meeting with my friends, so I brought my adopted daughter with me since she loves this place, too," she explained. After Amara finished speaking, Hotaru stood & bowed traditionally. When she stood up straight again, she smiled at them & said, "I'm her adopted daughter. Name's Hotaru Tomoe, but now I have to be called Hotaru Tenou, which is pretty cool, too, but I still prefer Tomoe over Tenou." Hotaru sat back down.  
  
Kurama smiled at Amara, walked over, & took a seat beside her. Kuwabara took the seat beside Hotaru, grinning. Amara glared at him, then watched as Yusuke took the seat beside Kuwabara, also grinning. Hiei then sat beside Kurama, while Koenma took the last seat. Amara continued glaring at Kuwabara, who was snickering at Kurama. Amara's glare hardened, but she couldn't reach across the table. Hotaru saw the look in her adoptive father's eyes, got the message, turned around, & punched Kuwabara right in the face. Amara snickered, then cracked up when she saw that the firefly had caused Kuwabara's nose to bleed, having been hit so hard. She told Hotaru, "Firefly, you've been around Lita & me way too long if you can hit that hard!!!!" Hotaru laughed, too.  
  
Moments later, Semreh came walking up to their table with Amara & Hotaru's usual order. After he set it down, he caught sight of Kurama, & Hotaru saw him tense up. She could feel that anger was surging up from his heart, & she knew that she'd been right about him loving Amara. However, Amara & Kurama were busy talking. Hiei thought, 'I wonder if I should tell these two that his name's really Kurama, not Souichi…' Suddenly, he sensed great anger, so he turned. Semreh was watching Kurama & Amara talk, hate clearly visible in his eyes. He felt that someone else could sense it, too. He turned in the direction his senses were pointing him to, & saw Hotaru looking up at Semreh also. She then noticed that Hiei was looking at her, so she hitched a smile onto her face. Then she saw Yusuke looking at her, his eyes holding a curious look. She realized he could sense that she had sensed Semreh's hatred, as could Hiei.  
  
She looked at her tea, sadness entering her heart. It was because looking into Semreh's eyes reminded her of the pain she had once felt back in the days of the Silver Millenium; she'd been in love, but her beloved's parents betrothed him to another. The rage in Semreh's eyes was the exact same as her own after hearing his parents' decision. At this memory, Hotaru placed her face in her hands, leaped up from her seat, then bolted out the door, crying. Amara watched her run, then sighed & held up three fingers. "Three, two, one," she said exasperatedly, then pointed at the door. Instantly, the sound of a motorcycle engine was heard, then roared off into the distance. She sighed again.  
  
"Forgive Hotaru. Something must've reminded her about her past, &, well, she doesn't like being reminded of the past, so she does that. Of course, sometimes it's my car," she added. The others stared at her in shock. "She… can drive… a motorcycle… & a car?!?!" Koenma asked, therefore voicing the question on everyone's minds. Amara sighed a third time. "Yes, I taught her, so she always does something like that when she gets upset. Poor Firefly, always crying because of painful memories that she wishes she could eliminate…"  
  
"Ahem!! Amara, here's your ticket," Semreh interrupted, handing her a piece of paper. In the process, he knocked over Amara's soup, which was still hot, & it landed in Kurama's lap. "Aaaaggghhh!!!!!" he cried, leaping up. Yusuke panicked, so he threw water on Kurama in hopes that would stop the burning. Koenma checked on Kurama, as did the others, while Amara stood & walked outside to wait for Hotaru, all the while Semreh watched Kurama chase Yusuke around the store with satisfaction at Kurama's embarrassment.  
  
When the five guys walked out of the restaurant, Kurama let out a yell of surprise, causing the others to look at him, & Amara to come running. "Souichi!!! Is something wrong?!?!" she asked worriedly, then stopped. Everyone looked at Kurama in shock; what had once been water on him was now ice! He looked at them with shocked eyes, then asked, "What's going on?! Why am I becoming frozen like this?!" Amara stared at him because now what Amy had said made sense. "I tried contacting Mercury, but it wouldn't give me any power at all. It's almost as if I were only a temporary host of Mercury's Ice of Knowledge. & now, the real heir to throne of Mercury has received their power, or is coming close to achieving their power." 'That means he's…!!!' She realized what that meant. Then, she stopped & shook her head, thinking, 'No way, I can't be sure about that until an enemy comes along that's strong enough to bring that part of him out.' Just then, the temperature quickly dropped. 'What the…?!?' Yusuke thought.  
  
Out of nowhere, a man appeared perched on top of the nearest lamppost. They realized that he looked like Kurama, but his hair was blue instead of red, & his eyes were also blue instead of green. They also noticed that the lamppost the man was on was covered in ice. He grinned, then raised his right hand above his head. Instantly, aquamarine-colored ice formed in his palm, then he thrust his arm forward at them, yelling, "Shine Blast!" The five guys shielded their faces with their arms. Amara used her speed as a Uranusian & dodged the attack. She then charged at the man & cried, "Eat this, you jerk!!!" Navy-colored energy surrounded her right fist, & she hurled it at the man, yelling, "Space Shaking!" He vanished from his perch.  
  
When Amara landed, she landed on a patch of ice & nearly toppled over. But suddenly, an arm swung out of nowhere & grabbed her waist. "Amara, my love," a voice whispered into her ear. She turned & saw it was the man, & he was smirking. "Join me… I can protect you better than Kurama could ever protect you…" Her eyes widened. "Who's Kurama?" she questioned. "Oh yes, I forgot… You call him Souichi… My fault…" he hissed. At this, Amara cried, "Let me go, you freak!!!!" With that, she broke free of his grip, then swung around & punched him full in the face. He stumbled back, holding his face, which the others could see blood dripping from in between his fingers.  
  
"Amara!!!" four voices cried. Amara turned just as Michelle, Lita, & Hotaru rushed past her. Amy stopped once she reached Amara & exclaimed, "Amara!! Are you hurt?! Hotaru contacted us through telepathy to say that you were in trouble, so we met up with her, then hurried over here as quickly as we could!!" Amara grinned at her blue-haired friend. "It's alright, Amy. I'm fine," she assured her. She glared at the man. "Can't say the same for him, though!!!" Lita, Amara, Michelle, & Hotaru all nodded simultaneously, then charged at the same time, crying out their attacks. "Oak Crash!" "Space Shaking!" "Submarine Submerge!" "Silence Wall!" Their attacks merged into one, then hit the man. He stumbled back, then glared at them all before hissing, "My name is Hermes, & don't any of you forget it. In fact, I'll make sure you don't!!" With that, Hermes raised his hands & cried, "Shine Blast!" Hermes threw his attack… right at Kurama!  
  
Amara gasped. "Souichi!! Move!!!" she cried out to him, outstretching her right hand to him. Kurama pulled out his Rose Whip, then lashed at the aquamarine-colored ice. Its direction changed, then it hurled towards Amara. She stepped back, unsure of what to do. Kurama saw this, then instinctively ran at her. He jumped between Amara & the ice, then held his Rose Whip high above his head. Suddenly, he & his whip began glowing blue. The Rose Whip then morphed into a whip made of blue ice. Kurama swung the whip back, then lashed at the ice with it & cried, "Aqua Blast!" Blue ice shot from his whip & collided with the aquamarine ice, sending it flying backwards, away from Kurama & Amara. Hermes glared at Kurama before stating, "The prince of Mercury is awake again." At this, Amara fainted. Hermes then teleported away before Kurama's attack hit him, so it struck & froze a lamppost.  
  
Kurama stood in stunned silence, then turned to the others & asked, "How did that happen?" Amy rushed up to him, smiling. "So you're the true heir to the throne & power of Mercury!!" He stared at her like she was crazy, so Michelle stepped forward to explain. "That's Amy Anderson, the former Sailor Mercury. I said 'former' because she lost her power. She figured that it was because she was a temporary host of Mercury's power. After Amara & Hotaru left the house, Amy said that she'd been having dreams of a man with long red hair & bright green eyes for the past week. Apparently, it all points to one thing: Mercury's future ruler was never a princess; it was a prince. You are that prince: The prince that controls the Ice of Knowledge." Now it was Kurama's turn to faint. When he did so, everyone just stood there for a moment, then Kuwabara picked up Kurama, while Lita picked up Amara. Meanwhile, Amara was remembering a part of her life in the Silver Millenium that she'd forgotten.  
  
"Mercury! Mercury!!" Princess Uranus called, walking down a hall in the Space Palace of Uranus. She then walked outside & sat down in the rose garden. "Where'd he get to?" she fumed, tending to some white roses. "Right next to you," a voice beside her said, making her jump. Uranus whirled around & came face-to-face with…  
  
"What the heck?!" Amara yelled, sitting upright, panting & sweating. "Amara? You alright?" Lita called through the door. Amara looked around herself; she was in her room, laying in her bed. She turned to the closed door & called back, "Yeah, I'm fine, Lita." "Okay. If you say so," Lita called, then walked off down the hallway. Amara put her right hand to her forehead, then ran her fingers through her hair, thinking, 'There was no way in the nine planets of this galaxy that could've been possible… Prince Mercury… Souichi is Prince Mercury? That can't be…' She slid off her bed, then walked to her door & opened it. She walked down the hallway, then headed down the stairway.  
  
"Hey, Hotaru. How's everything going with you?" Amara asked her black-haired friend. Hotaru looked up from her book on Greek mythology & smiled at her tall companion. "It's all cool here," she replied. "That boy, Souichi, he's the true ruler of Mercury. I felt ice & knowledge radiating from him. There's no denying that he's Prince Mercury, Amara." Amara sighed. "I… I just had a dream of him. I saw him in a rose garden. He looked so happy to see me," she added thoughtfully. Hotaru snapped her book shut & declared, "That settles it. We've got to protect him & his friends from now on." 


	3. Kurama's Past Uncovered

YSE: Sorry I haven't updated in eternity, but my computer's a piece of crap... The stupid thing wouldn't connect!!  
  
Amara: Yeah, right. You just haven't bothered connecting 'cause you haven't had anything to put up!  
  
YSE: Oh, shut up, Amara! Just do the disclaimer!  
  
Amara: Which, by the way, you've been forgetting to say it in the previous chapters...  
  
YSE: Shut up, Amara!! Sheesh! Just do the freakin' disclaimer!!!  
  
Amara: Fine, fine... OK, Youko Sorceress Erisonii doesn't own Yu Yu Hakusho or Sailor Moon. *whispers to Michelle* And for a damn good reason, too. *Michelle chuckles*  
  
YSE: HEEEEYYY!!!!!! That was mean!!!!  
  
Amara: That was the point, baka...  
  
YSE: Oh, hush up... *pouts* Anyway, enjoy the chapter!  
  
The next day, at Mugen Gakuen, Amara & Lita were just waiting for their so-called top-of-the-line art teacher, Mr. Satori to come in. He finally came in fifteen minutes after class had begun, did the role call, then announced, "Class, we've got a new student. You may come in now, Mr. Minamino."  
  
Amara sat up straight. 'Minamino?! Then that means…!!' she thought, watching the door. Sure enough, Kurama came walking in, then stood beside Mr. Satori & said, "I'm honored to be coming to the greatest school in the world. I only hope that I may live up to my expectations." Kurama then looked around the room, trying to find an empty seat.  
  
Most of the boys didn't seem to think much of him at first, but when they tried to flirt with a girl, they ended up quitting their flirting & glaring at him instead. The reason for this was because all but one of the girls were too busy gawking at him to notice any other boy in the room. The only one was his new friend.  
  
"Amara?!?!" Kurama exclaimed, staring at her in surprise. "You never told me you went to school here!!!"  
  
Amara chuckled. "What, did you think I was too dumb to come here?" she asked teasingly.  
  
Kurama then smiled & shook his head. "I've only known you for a day, but I feel like I've known you for years!" he said, walking up to her. Amara grinned & pulled out the chair next to her.  
  
"Have a seat, pal," she said. Kurama nodded, then sat down next to her.  
  
'Hey, Souichi, can you hear me?' Amara's voice asked inside Kurama's head. He looked at her in surprise, then she spoke again. 'I'll take that as a yes.' Kurama then decided to try it.  
  
'Amara, how is this possible?'  
  
'The children of the galaxy all have a telepathic link to one another, but the only real psychics are the children of Mars & Saturn.'  
  
'How come I have it?'  
  
'Because you're the prince of Mercury.'  
  
'What?!'  
  
'Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but you are!! I was good friends with Prince Mercury a million years ago, & I had a dream last night about him. You were him!! I saw his face!! Souichi, you have to believe me!!!'  
  
'I guess I could try, but, Amara…?'  
  
'Yes, Souichi?'  
  
'My real name's Kurama.'  
  
'I wondered about that… Wait!! I remember now!!! Youko Kurama lived at the same time as Prince Mercury… This'll sound complicated, but I'll give explaining it a try: The unborn infant that Youko possessed was your reincarnated, unborn body. So I guess you could say that you're three people: Youko Kurama, Prince Mercury, & Souichi Minamino.' With that last part said, their discussion was closed for the time being.  
  
At the end of the day, Kurama & Amara were walking down the sidewalk & talking about this & that, having a great time, when suddenly, Hiei jumped down in front of them. "Kurama, we're having a meeting in a few minutes at Kuwabara's home. We should head there now," he said. Kurama nodded, but as he started walking off, Amara grabbed his hand.  
  
"Kurama, may I come?" she asked him. "My friends & I swore to protect each other & any other children of the galaxy. As you know by now, you're the prince of Mercury, therefore we have to protect you. Your friends are also at risk. This Hermes that we faced was no walk in the park. I've seen some tough battles, but he's the toughest one yet. The only one who can truly defeat him is the other prince of Mercury, since he's one, too. Kurama, only you can defeat him. Nevertheless, the rest of us want to help."  
  
At that moment, Lita leaped down beside Amara & said, "Amara, Hotaru's had another vision." Amara looked at the brunette & said, "From your tone of voice, I'd say something went wrong." Lita nodded. "Hotaru got electrocuted, then collapsed on the floor. Michelle & Amy are tending to her right now, but she's in a serious condition. Whatever she saw or almost saw, something or someone didn't want her to see it."  
  
Amara's eyes widened. She turned to Kurama & said, "I guess I can't come now, even if you said I could. Hotaru's a great friend of mine, & I'm not about to let something like this go unattended. Firefly needs me. Goodbye, Kurama." Amara & Lita turned & leaped away. Kurama watched them leave, then turned to Hiei & said, "I can tell I'll have to do some explaining to you & the others." Hiei nodded. "You have no idea how much explaining you'll need to do."  
  
Minutes later, Amara & Lita came running into Hotaru's room, Amara's eyes wide with worry. "Hotaru? Hotaru, are you alright?" she asked, panic etched in her voice. Michelle, who was sitting on a chair beside Hotaru's bed, looked up at them & smiled. "She'll be fine. She just needs to relax a bit," she answered. Michelle then stood up, nodded at Amy & Lita, and the three of them left the room so Amara could speak with Hotaru in private. Moments later, Hotaru's eyes fluttered open & she turned her head to face Amara. "A… Amara…?" she asked weakly. Amara smiled & took hold of her adopted daughter's hand before replying, "Yeah. After Lita came & got me, I rushed home as quick as I could. I almost got to go to a meeting between Kurama & his friends, but he might not've invited me to it anyway." The two girls chuckled.  
  
Meanwhile, at Kuwabara's house, the four detectives were discussing what to do the next time they ran into Hermes. "Well, he seems to be intending to kill me, so maybe I should try taking him on alone," Kurama suggested. Yusuke quickly became furious. "There is no way in hell that you're taking that freak on alone!!" he yelled, slamming his fist down onto the coffee table. Suddenly, a glow filled the room, then Koenma, in his teenage form, appeared. "Sorry I'm late," he said, sitting down on the floor. "I heard about the attack by this Hermes and I decided to do some research. Turns out he once lived on the planet Mercury and was the brother of the true Prince Mercury. I was informed of what you were told by the former Sailor Mercury, and it turns out she's right. Kurama, you're the true heir to the throne of Mercury. You were once Prince Mercury yourself, the master of ice and knowledge. It seems your brother became envious since not only were you the heir to the throne room, but also because you and Princess Uranus fell in love and were engaged before the time of peace known as the Silver Millennium. It would appear that Prince Hermes was in love with her as well." Koenma then grinned in a silly way. "You were romantically involved with the heir to the throne of Uranus. Wooooo… Go, Kurama… Did you get a little naughty with her?" Kurama's face flushed a deep red.  
  
"You know I would never do such a thing, Koenma!!" the redhead yelled, making Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Koenma laugh. Hiei merely chuckled from slight amusement at the usually calm man's outburst. Kurama, having stood up when he yelled, now sat back down. Hiei thought for a moment, then asked, "Was that girl with the sandy blonde hair the princess of Uranus?" Koenma looked at the fire demon and nodded. "Yes, she was," he replied. "That's why she and Kurama got along so well." Kurama picked up his cup of herbal tea and sipped it. 'Amara and I… were an item?' he thought in disbelief. 'It's logical, Kurama.' Kurama scowled in his mind. 'Hiei, could you please not read my mind right now? These thoughts are kind of personal to me.' Hiei frowned as he answered, 'You know I never bother butting out.' Kurama chuckled; that was definitely true. He leaned back and thought in somewhat of a whisper, 'Amara… Princess Uranus… my fiancé… She was pretty enough, that's for sure…' Hiei smirked as he silently listened in on the redhead's private thoughts. 


	4. A Conversation Between Former Lovers

YSE: Oh my GOSH... I FINALLY get a break from all my work, then my mom bans me from the computer for eternity!! Damn!! What a pain in the ass...  
  
Amara: Not half the pain in the ass YOU are.  
  
YSE: Awww, shut the hell UP, Amara!!!!! turns to Hotaru Firefly, couldja do me a favor & do the frickin' disclaimer?  
  
Hotaru: Ummmm, okay... to audience Youko Sorceress Erisonii doesn't own Yu Yu Hakusho or Sailor Moon. However, she DOES own Hermes, seeing as she made him up.  
  
YSE: grins Yup!! Made him up, alright!!  
  
Hiei: As if it weren't obvious.  
  
YSE: You shut up, too, Hiei!!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!! You & Amara are such pains in the ASS!!!  
  
Lita: Hiei! Leave Eri-san alone!!  
  
Hiei: Oh, crap... Lita's here... runs off  
  
Lita: Hey!! Get your midget-ass back here!!!! chases after him  
  
YSE: Hoooo-kaaaaayy... Weird, much? Anyways, I'm gonna put the ages here, too, so no one's confused. Enjoy the chapter!  
  
Hotaru: 15 (her whole rapid-growth thing)  
  
Yusuke: 15  
  
Hiei: Unknown (but whatever the hell his age is, in this story it's equivalent to 16 in human years)  
  
Kurama: 16  
  
Koenma: Unknown (equivalent to 17 in human years)  
  
Amara: 16  
  
Michelle: 16  
  
Kuwabara: 16 (I've always assumed he was at least a year older than Yusuke)  
  
Lita: 16  
  
Amy: 16  
  
Hermes: 16  
  
The next day, Kurama and Amara chatted pleasantly about their four friends at lunchtime, laughing when they could and they felt it necessary. "So, Amara, this Amy… she sounds like a good match for the friend of mine named Koenma, don't you think?"  
  
Amara eagerly nodded. "I thought they would be a good match when you first told me about Koenma. My cousin, Michelle… I'd say she'd be well off with your friend, Kazuma Kuwabara, you said his name was?"  
  
Kurama placed a finger to his lips and thought to himself, then answered, "Yes, I agree. Now, what of my friend, Hiei? He likes being alone quite often, and your adopted daughter seems to like being anti-social as well."  
  
"Not really. She despises being alone, actually."  
  
"Oh. Forget what I said, then…" Kurama took a sip of his cherry soda as he thought.  
  
"I think Hiei sounds like a good match for Lita."  
  
Kurama choked on his soda when a laugh tried to erupt from him. "You said Lita's tall, right?" he asked, forcing the laugh back down so he could ask her.  
  
Amara raised an eyebrow in confusion as she replied, "Yeah. So?"  
  
Kurama let his laugh burst out at last. When he saw the puzzled look on Amara's face, he explained, "Hiei probably only comes up to Lita's waist since she's only half a head shorter than you, Amara."  
  
Amara also cracked up. "He was that shrimp I saw with you!? Ha ha!!" She held her gut; it was hurting, she was laughing so hard.  
  
Kurama wiped a tear from his eye as he said, "Lita could probably match him temper-wise, but she could also soften him up since, as you said, she has a big heart underneath all her tomboyish-ness. Besides, I think she already likes Hiei since she saw him yesterday when she came to get you."  
  
"Hey, good point. Has Hiei said anything about Lita?"  
  
"No. He doesn't usually say much, if anything, about topics such as love."  
  
"Hey, I have several friends whom I haven't seen in eternity because they lost their powers as children of the galaxy, all except the princess I was supposed to protect until she was married. But her powers have been passed on to her daughter, so we needn't worry about that. My other friends were warriors from the planets Mars, Venus, and Pluto. Who knows? Maybe your friends are children of the galaxy, too!"  
  
Kurama nodded. "Yes, that sounds logical to me, but right now, we must focus on our current enemy…"  
  
Amara looked at the table as she whispered, "Yeah, your brother, Hermes."  
  
Kurama stared at Amara in surprise. "You know?"  
  
The sandy blonde nodded. "My remaining friends and I had a meeting last night. We found out all about your past as Prince Mercury."  
  
Kurama looked at the table, blushing slightly. "Then, umm… you know that you and I were once, uhhh…" He coughed as though choking.  
  
Amara blushed, too, but caught herself and looked out the window so Kurama wouldn't see it. "Yeah, I know about us being a couple." After a few moments of silence, she chuckled.  
  
"What's so funny, Amara?" Kurama asked, looking up at her.  
  
Amara looked over at Kurama with a slight smirk on her face as she answered, "Us having once been together would explain why I thought you were so cute when I first saw you."  
  
At these words, Kurama blushed a deep red; Amara was flirting with him! "Ummmm… th- thanks… I guess…" he said, looking embarrassed.  
  
Amara smirked a little wider, then leaned over the lunch table so she was in Kurama's face and said, "I'm glad we're reunited, Kurama." She leaned around and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then leaped up from her seat and hurried over to the garbage can with her tray of unfinished food. 'W- What the hell'd I do that for!?' she thought in shock of herself. 'So what if he and I were once an item?! I still don't have to open up to him the way I have been!! Aaarrggghh!!!! What the hell's wrong with me!?!'  
  
Meanwhile, back with Kurama, his face was the exact same shade as his hair. He slowly reached up and touched the spot on his cheek where Amara had kissed him, thinking, 'She… She actually… kissed me just now…?' He smiled softly to himself and whispered, "I'm glad we're back together again, too, Amara…"  
  
YSE: Sorry it's so short, but I'm busy this summer... Plus, I thought it would be cute to leave this chapter completely dedicated to this scene so y'all could see at least a little romance between the two.  
  
Amara: ...I'm going to kill you for making me do that.  
  
Kurama: Calm down, Amara. Remember, your fans like it. under his breath I think...  
  
Hiei: It's a bunch of bullst if you ask me.  
  
YSE: NOBODY ASKED YOU!!!! sobs Why do they all hate me?!?  
  
Hotaru: Ummmm... If anybody has any comments, feel free to post them. And Erisonii-chan is very sorry to have kept you all waiting for so long.  
  
YSE: sniffles I didn't mean to... I've just been so busy...  
  
Lita: Anyway, post some comments and let her know what you think!!  
  
Amara: I can't believe people actually read this crap.  
  
YSE: SHUT UP, AMARA!!!!! 


	5. A Dangerous First Date

YSE: Hey, all!! I apologize for the last chapter being so short... I hadn't intended for it to be so small, but I thought that scene was too kawaii to be amongst a whole bunch of others, so I just HAD to give it its own chapter!!  
  
Amara: Can I kill her yet?  
  
Kurama: She's still writing the story, so... no.  
  
Amara growls When this is over, I'm going to get out my Space Sword and slice her head off!!!  
  
Hiei: Mind if I assist you? She's not giving me enough showtime.  
  
Lita: Heeeeyyy!!! Knock knock on wood!! knocks on the top of Hiei's head We'll each get our own story soon enough! 'Sides, yours is next when she's done with her hopefully-gonna-be-written Legend of Dragoon story featuring her favorite couples.  
  
Hiei: Good.  
  
Lita: Now that I've calmed you down, you look like my ex-boyfriend...  
  
Hiei: Oh, crap... She's gonna try and kiss me again!! runs off  
  
Lita: Hiei, get your ass back here this instant!! chases him  
  
YSE: Uhhhhh huuuuuuuhhhh... Anyways, Koenma will do the disclaimer.  
  
Koenma: sighs I suppose I must... Youko Sorceress Erisonii doesn't own either Yu Yu Hakusho or Sailor Moon. However, she owns the character known as Hermes.  
  
YSE: I just love creating new faces for different reasons! Enjoy the chapter, peeps!!!

Later that evening, at the five girls' mansion, Michelle and Amy were doing some research on Kurama's friends, trying to see if they could figure out who had what element before they were killed. While they were researching, Hotaru was upstairs in her room, reading a book on Egyptian mythology. Lita and Amara, however, were busying themselves with an arm wrestling competition at the dining room table as they waited for Michelle and Amy to stop researching and start cooking.Amara had just about beaten Lita when the phone rang.  
  
"Yipe!!" Amara exclaimed, losing concentration.  
  
Seeing an opportunity, Lita quickly slammed Amara's hand down on the table. "Ha ha!! I win!!" she said with a laugh.  
  
"Hey, that's not fair! I lost my focus 'cause of the damn phone ringing!!"  
  
"Speaking of which," Michelle said, standing beside Amara with the phone in her hand, "it's for you."  
  
Amara looked confused as she took the phone from Michelle. "Hello? Amara Tenou speaking."  
  
"Hello, Amara." It was Kurama.  
  
Amara's face broke into a smile. "Oh, hey, Kurama! What's up?"  
  
"Oh, ummm, it's nothing, uh, specific… I just, errr…"  
  
In the background, Amara heard someone snap, "Just ask her out, already!!!"  
  
"Shut up, Yusuke!!" Kurama yelled back at the person; he'd been decent enough to cover the speaker before he'd yelled at Yusuke.  
  
"Kurama, did you call to ask me on a date?" Amara asked, feeling her heartbeat suddenly quicken and her face immediately flush.  
  
"Ummmmm… Y- Yes…" Kurama stammered.  
  
Amara heard herself giggle, then covered her mouth. 'I giggled?! What the hell is going on!?!'  
  
"Amara? Are you alright?" Kurama sounded worried.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, why don't we meet up someplace for our… date," she said, mentally smacking herself in the head for saying that in front of the others, including Hotaru; they'd all crowded around Amara the moment they heard her say it was Kurama, seeing as they all knew he was the reincarnation of Amara's former fiancé.  
  
"Alright. How does eight o'clock at Garfield's sound?"  
  
Amara glanced over at the wall clock in the kitchen; it read seven thirty-nine at that point in time. "Sure. The dress is casual, right?"  
  
"Of course! I couldn't ask you to wear a dress! You always look great in boyish outfits. That was a compliment, if you were wondering how to take that, by the way. And, well, you would look pretty in a dress, but I'd only ask you to wear one if it was the right time and kind of dress that would make you feel comfortable."  
  
Amara felt her cheeks burn terribly at this; Kurama was sweet-talking her! "I- I'll see you there, then…" she said. "Bye, Kurama."  
  
"Goodbye, Amara," Kurama said, then hung up the phone.  
  
Amara turned the phone off, and instantly the room exploded with the four other girls' squeals.  
  
"Kurama asked you on a date!!" Lita exclaimed, hugging Amara so tightly she was squeezing the life out of her. "I'm so happy for you!!"  
  
"I'm glad you two have been reunited," Michelle said, hugging her cousin once Lita let go of the blonde.  
  
"I feel great joy for you!" Amy said, smiling at Amara. "I also feel happy for Kurama, since he's the one who can use the powers of Mercury to their full extent."  
  
Hotaru hugged Amara tightly, saying, "I'm so excited for you!! My adoptive father… on her first date!!!"  
  
Amara could only stand in one spot and blush uncontrollably. 'I can't believe this…' she thought, groaning.  
  
At seven fifty-six precisely, Amara drove into the parking lot of Garfields, parked her motorcycle, removed her helmet, and entered the restaurant.   
  
"Amara?!"  
  
Amara looked at the waiter approaching her and recognized him instantly. "Semreh!?" she gasped in astonishment. "You work here, too?!"  
  
Semreh just laughed. "Yeah, I work at a whole sling of jobs. This happens to be one of them. So, you here by yourself? If so, I can keep you company…" Unnoticed by Amara, Semreh slowly began reaching for her hand as he spoke. When he was about to grasp her hands…  
  
"Amara, I'm here," Kurama called, walking up to her. "I got Koenma to drive me here. So, are you ready for our… ummmmm… d- date?" he asked, stammering.  
  
Amara blushed at this question. "I- I guess so…" she responded, then turned back to Semreh. "Sorry, Semreh, but I kind of accepted Kurama's offer for a, errrmm… date…"  
  
Semreh looked shocked, but quickly forced a smile back on his face and said, "Oh, okay. Right this way, you two." He turned and lead the 'couple' to a nice section of the restaurant. However, unknown to Kurama and Amara, Semreh was furious about this info; he loved Amara so much, and here was Kurama, stealing her away by being a gentleman! "Here you go," Semreh said, gesturing to the table. "I have to go to another of my jobs now, but your waiter or waitress should be along shortly. As he helped Amara into her seat, he quickly kissed her hand, then walked away briskly.  
  
Amara stared at her hand like Semreh'd slapped it, not kissed it. "I reeaaally don't know what to say about that…" she said, turning to look at Kurama.  
  
He just smiled kindly at her. "Don't say anything, then. Although…" he began, leaning across the table slightly, "…I do enjoy hearing you talk." He reached out and nervously placed a hand over Amara's, which lay on the table at that time.  
  
Amara felt herself blushing again, so she quickly averted her gaze in hopes Kurama wouldn't see her face when it was red with embarrassment.  
  
"Amara, please look at me…"  
  
The blonde-haired warrior felt obliged to look at Kurama like he'd asked her to, but her tomboyish side, the side that didn't like to open up to anyone, kept her gaze fixed elsewhere.  
  
Kurama, seeing that his former, and hopefully future, fiancé wasn't about to look at him anytime soon, he reached out, gently took her face into his hand, then turned her head slowly back to look at him. "Amara…" he whispered, moving his head closer. "I…"  
  
But Kurama was cut off when the temperature in the entire restaurant dropped dramatically.  
  
"Kurama…!!" Amara gasped to her red-haired companion.  
  
He nodded. "I know… This is the work of Hermes, my brother!!!"  
  
"Observant, aren't you?" a voice sneered. The voice was as cold as the subzero temperature in the building.  
  
Kurama turned around as he stood up from the table he and Amara had been sitting at and glared at the figure he could just barely see on the other side of an ice wall. "Hermes…" he growled in anger. "What are you doing here?!?"  
  
Hermes chuckled cruelly. "Me? What about you, Mercury? You're hanging about with Princess Uranus… MY Uranus, I might add…"  
  
Amara stood and clenched her fist, yelling, "I don't love you, Hermes!! I was engaged to Mercury because I loved him!! You can't destroy our love!!!"  
  
"I can't?" Hermes laughed maliciously. "We'll just have to see about that, won't we?"  
  
As Kurama and Amara glared at the dark shadow on the opposite side of the wall of ice, it suddenly vanished, making the duo panic.  
  
"Where'd he go!?!" Amara growled in frustration, looking all about herself.  
  
Her answer came when Hermes appeared directly in front of her and took her face forcefully into his hand before she could even react to his sudden appearance. "What's the matter, my love?" he asked as Amara tried to pull his hand off her face. "Aren't you happy to see me now that you remember who I am?"  
  
Amara glared defiantly at Hermes and yelled, "You can go down and try to freeze the depths of hell for all I care!!!" She punched his arm at the elbow joint, forcing him to let go since she'd punched it in a way that would make it bend the opposite direction. Leaping into the air, Amara summoned her Space Sword and slashed downwards at Hermes with the cry, "Space Blaster!!!!"  
  
The force of the blast was like a rush of gravity, crushing and tearing at Hermes so horribly that he cried out in pain. "Uranus…!!! Why do you hate me so much!?!" he cried out, pulling himself back to his feet as he summoned his Aqua Harp; the same harp that Amy had once used as Sailor Mercury!  
  
'Amy's weapon was really Hermes'?!? What the hell is going on!?' Amara thought in frustration at this confusing twist.  
  
"Answer me, Uranus!!!" Hermes demanded, playing a tune on his harp. The temperature in the restaurant dropped several more degrees.  
  
Amara suddenly started feeling her body growing numb from the freezing cold that was enveloping her. "K- Kurama…!!!" she called out, dropping to her knees and releasing her grip on her cherished Space Sword as she tried her best to keep her body warm.  
  
"Uranus…" Hermes whispered.  
  
Amara looked up and found herself face-to-face with Hermes. She moved her head back from his so they weren't so close and hissed, "Stay away from me…"  
  
But Hermes just gripped both of her arms in his hands and pulled her closer. His lips were mere inches from hers…  
  
"LEave her be!!" Kurama yelled, summoning his Rose Whip, which immediately turned into the Aqua Whip like it had done during the first battle his brother. But this time, the attack was, "Bubbles Illusion!!!" He spun his whip in a circle before him, then bubbles shot out of the circle he'd generated, enveloping the entire restaurant in a thick field of bubbles that only Kurama could see through. Hermes could see through it as well, but while Kurama could see clearly, Hermes could only see shadowy figures. Taking this advantage, Kurama snatched Amara from Hermes' grasp and leaped back out of sight.  
  
"What?! Mercury, where are you?!? Where have you taken my beloved Uranus!?!" Hermes yelled in fury, trying to pierce the bubbles with his gaze to no avail.  
  
Kurama nor Amara gave any answer.  
  
"Alright. Fine. Don't answer me. I'll simply find you on my own!!!" Hermes yelled, playing his Aqua Harp. "You're not the only one with that technique, brother!! Bubbles Illusion!!" Instantly, bubbles shot from the strings of Hermes' harp, merging with the already existing bubbles and freezing them. They instantly dropped to the ground, shattering like glass.  
  
Kurama and Amara were standing near the door, looking horrified at what Hermes had just done. Before he could do anything else, though, the two dashed outside.  
  
"Uranus!!" Hermes yelled, chasing them. However, by the time he got out there, Amara and Kurama were already speeding off on Amara's motorcycle. Not wanting to cause Amara to have any injuries, Hermes had to make his harp vanish and only watch as his reincarnated brother escaped from his icy death yet again. And escaping with the one they were fighting over, no less. Controlling his anger, Hermes transformed back into his civilian appearance: Semreh, the one Amara trusted so much.

YSE: Ooooohhhh, real big shocker there at the end, huh? Psh, yeah, right...  
  
Amara: She actually got something right for once.  
  
YSE: Shut up, Amara!!!  
  
Kurama: Amara, why don't we go to that Nascar race you were bent on seeing, hmmm? That way, Erisonii can get a break?  
  
Amara: ......Fine. to Hiei Keep pesturing her.  
  
Hiei: Hmph!  
  
Lita: gives Hiei a threatening glare I'm warning you...  
  
Hiei: Alright, just don't start ki--- gets cut short when Lita smothers him with kisses  
  
YSE: HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!! You got what was comin' to ya, Hiei!!! Okay, please review, peeps!  
  
Yusuke: stares at YSE, confused What is with you and the word "peeps" right now?  
  
YSE: I dunno. I just like sayin' it, I guess.  
  
Yusuke: rolls eyes Whatever...  
  
YSE: Okay, now you sound like Squall, and that's not a good thing.  
  
Yusuke: Whatever.  
  
YSE: Shut up!!!  
  
Yusuke: grins I just love bugging her.  
  
YSE: I said shut up... pouts 


	6. Love Finally Shown

YSE: Sorry about taking so long to put this damn chapter up, but I've been busy.  
Yusuke: Just get on with it, will you?  
YSE: Hold on!! Kuwabara has to do the disclaimer!  
Kuwabara: What?!?! Why me?  
YSE: 'Cause I said so. sticks out her tongue  
Kuwabara: grumbling Fine... Erisonii doesn't own either Yu Yu Hakusho or Sailor Moon, but Semreh/Hermes is her own creation.  
YSE: Now, was that so bad?  
Kuwabara: Shut up.  
YSE: Humiliating Kuwabara's probably one of the most entertaining things to do. laughs Enjoy the chapter, peeps!  
  
The next day, Amara and Kurama were sitting in the back of their algebra class, talking through telepathy yet again.  
'Hermes is determined to make you his bride, Amara. He seems to love you just as much as I do. He'll be willing to do anything,' Kurama stated in a huff.  
'That's a good point. Yet, he can't win. I mean, what kind of fiancé would I be if I dumped you for him?' Amara asked with a chuckle.  
Kurama looked surprised. 'Well, that's different…' he thought with a smile.  
Amara raised an eyebrow and asked, 'What do you mean by that?' Kurama turned to her and answered, 'I thought you weren't the type to get all romantic. And when you said that Hermes couldn't destroy our love, that surprised me, too. I guess you're full of surprises, aren't you, Amara?' Amara blushed slightly as she looked at him with an annoyed look on her face; Kurama was teasing her and she wasn't liking it. 'Quit mockin' me, Kurama,' she muttered.  
Kurama just chuckled before turning his attention back to the teacher.  
Later on, after school, Amara was driving through the city on her motorcycle, Kurama seated behind her; she was giving him a ride home. Upon arriving at their destination, Kurama thanked the blonde and invited her inside. Of course, Amara accepted the invitation.  
"Wow!! Your house is pretty nice, Kurama!" Amara complimented, walking around and looking in the rooms.  
Kurama just chuckled. "Thank you, Amara," he said, hanging his school uniform's jacket on a coat rack. "Would you like something to eat?" Amara grinned. "I'll have a salad, if that's okay," she replied.  
Kurama simply smiled at her and replied, "If that's what you'd like, I'll be happy to make one for you." As the redhead busied himself in the kitchen preparing the salad, he casually glanced out of the corner of his eye at the blonde, who was checking out the books on the shelf in the living room.  
"Wow…" he heard Amara say breathlessly as she looked around. "This house is pretty well-kept…" Kurama blushed as he listened to Amara's compliments. 'She may look like a boy, but to me, she's a beautiful woman…' he thought. "Hey, Amara, the salad's ready," he called, sitting down at the table.  
Amara came out and joined him, and soon the two were talking like they were old friends.  
Which, in reality, wasn't far from the truth.  
"So, Kurama, do you still like roses as much as you did when you were Prince Mercury?" Amara questioned.  
Kurama smiled at her and replied, "Of course I do. I wouldn't be me if I didn't still like them, would I?" Amara blushed slightly, then shook it off and said, "I guess not." Kurama continued to smile; he'd caught a glimpse of Amara's face when she was blushing. He slowly reached across the table and took hold of Amara's hand, which was also resting on the table. "Amara, I didn't get to finish what I was trying to tell you the other night on our… um… date…" he said quietly, his cheeks almost as red as his hair.  
Amara's eyes widened slightly in surprise as Kurama continued to hold her hand. "Wh- What were you going to say?" she stammered, already very sure that she knew what it was.  
Kurama stood up and leaned across the table towards Amara. "It's been a long time since we had moment completely to ourselves like this…" he whispered, moving still closer.  
"Y- Yeah… It has…" Amara stuttered, turning away.  
As with the evening before, Kurama reached out, gently took Amara's face into his other hand, and turned her face back to him. "Amara… what I wanted to say to you last night…" He moved his face even closer to hers. …"was that…" His eyes slowly began closing. "…I love you…" With his words finally spoken, Kurama closed his eyes and kissed Amara gently on the lips.  
Immediately, a flashback was triggered within both Kurama and Amara's minds.  
"Awwww, come on, Uranus! Wait up! Please!!" a young Kurama, or rather Prince Mercury, called out to a young Princess Uranus; the two were running through a rose garden and Uranus was easily outrunning Mercury.  
"Ha ha! You can't catch me, Mercury!!" Uranus called back over her shoulder, laughing.  
"That's not fair!!" Mercury whined, still trying to catch up with the blonde.  
The two continued running towards the Sapphire Palace of Mercury, then they were engulfed by a bright light as the two planetary warriors' memories switched to a different point in time: when they were the same age that they were in the present day.  
"Mercury!! Hey, Mercury!!" Uranus called out as she ran up to him.  
Mercury had been sitting in the rose garden that was outside the palace and looked up after hearing his name. "Hello, Uranus," he greeted her with a kind smile.  
Uranus smiled back as she said, "I see you're still interested in roses." "Of course I am. I really like them because…" Mercury paused and looked away, blushing.  
Uranus, very confused about his behavior, asked, "What's wrong?" Mercury turned back to Uranus, blushing even more now, and replied, "I really like roses because they… they remind me of you…" "Th- They do?" Uranus stammered, also blushing now.  
Mercury nodded. "You're beautiful… and yet, you inflict pain on those who try to touch you," he explained, blushing still more after saying the first part of his statement.  
"Thank you for that compliment, Mercury," Uranus said with a smile. "Because of what you've said, I declare that the rose will be my favorite flower, too." Mercury smiled at his fiancé, then leaned over and kissed her after whispering, "No matter what, we'll be together in the end." The flashback ended and Kurama pulled away, his cheeks a brilliant shade of red.  
Amara was blushing furiously, too. "Uhhhh… thank you…" she stammered.  
"Y- Your welcome…" Kurama stuttered, looking away.  
  
YSE: squeals Kiss scene! Kiss scene!! Hurray!! Three cheers for the cute couple!  
Amara: Shut up or I'll use my Space Sword on you!  
Kurama: laughing nervously Calm down, Amara.  
Amara: Hmph! Fine, if you want me to spare Onii-baka, I will.  
YSE: Thank you, Kurama!  
Kurama: Your welcome, Eris-chan.  
Amara: Yeah, yeah, what the hell ever.  
YSE: I was thanking Kurama, not you, you baka onna!  
Amara: What did you call me?  
Kurama: sighs Here we go again... Anyway, thank you for reading this chapter, and please post a review if you can! Ja ne!  
YSE and Amara: from their wrestling position on the floor Ja ne!! continue wrestling 


	7. Knowing Why It Happened

YSE: Gomen minna for taking so long, but I've been busy. And I'm not lying!  
Amara: Sure you're not.  
Kurama: laughs nervously Ummm... On a brighter note, Eris-chan DID get this chapter up. Better late than never, right?  
Amara: Whatever.  
YSE: sticks out her tongue at Amara Kurama, do the disclaimer, please.  
Kurama: Okay. Eris-chan doesn't own Sailor Moon or Kurama, but she does own my brother Hermes, who, at this point, can rot in hell!  
Amara: Woo, go Kurama!  
YSE: Oh brother... Go make out already!

Weeks passed, and it seemed as though Hermes had given up since he had not appeared for that long period of time. Kurama and Amara began seeing one another more frequently than before, obviously receiving countless taunts from their groups.  
"Amara, what would you say to seeing a movie with me this evening?" Kurama asked the blonde-haired tomboy after school on Friday.  
The reply was a smile and a nod. "Sure, Ku… I mean Souichi," she said, laughing inwardly at herself for nearly calling the redhead by his demon name in public.  
Kurama smiled, then leaned in close and whispered directly into Amara's ear, "I'll see you there at seven then, alright?" Amara fought back the urge to blush like hell at him being so close to her, then smirked and gave a playful tug on a lock of Kurama's beautiful, silky clean, rose red hair as she answered, "See you then, pretty boy." She walked out the door of the classroom, leaving Kurama to blush like hell (which had been her intention since he had tried to get her to do so.  
"Jeez, Amara! I didn't think you were capable of spending half an hour in the bathroom getting ready for a date!!" Michelle called through the bathroom door, folding her arms. It was early evening, and the girls were at the house, lounging.  
Inside the room, Amara rolled her eyes, thinking, 'Who's she to criticize? She spends an entire hour and a half to get ready for a date with a guy she dumps right afterwards!! Sheesh!!!' "Amara Tenou!!! Get your ass out of there right now or I'll---" "All right, all right!! I'm out, ya happy!?" Amara snapped, marching out of the bathroom. 'Stupid Michelle… 'It'll be SO much cheaper to pay for one bathroom! Besides, we'll never have problems over anyone using it for too long!' Psh!' Michelle sighed in frustration and went into the bathroom to take her evening bubble bath, slamming the door behind her.  
Amara headed downstairs, greeted by Hotaru's smiling face. "I'm glad to see you so happy, Amara!" the raven-haired teenager said, her amethyst eyes sparkling.  
"Thanks, Firefly," Amara said, smiling down at her adopted daughter. "You know… it won't be too much longer until you start dating. Maybe you should try dating that boy that was with Kurama. The one named Yusuke Urameshi?" Hotaru's face turned a crimson red. "H- Him?!? Amara!!!" Amara laughed at Hotaru's reaction and headed for the door. When she opened it, she saw Kurama standing there with a bouquet of red roses in one hand while his other was raised as though he'd been about to knock. "Kurama!" The redheaded boy blushed so vividly that it was hard to tell where his face ended and his hair began. "I- I came early. I hope you don't mind, Amara…" he stammered, averting his eyes in embarrassment.  
"Oh, you silly fox! Get in here while I grab my jacket," the blonde remarked, grabbing Kurama's free hand and tugging him inside. "Wait right there. I'll be back in a moment!" Amara dashed off to the hall closet.  
"Hello again, Kurama." Kurama looked up the flight of stairs to his right and saw Amy smiling down at him. "Hi there, Amy," he greeted with a smile.  
Amy walked down the stairs and stood before him, smiling. "I'm glad that the true heir of Mercury's power is around and has their abilities returned to them. It… felt strange… when I was Sailor Mercury, and now I know why… I'm happy for you… and also that you're making Amara this happy. Not even Michelle remembers any other guy who makes her smile as much as she does when you're around. She really loves you, we can all tell! You love her in return, right?" "How could you ask that?! Of course I love her!!" Kurama was very taken aback that Amy would ask such a thing.  
"I know… It's just… Amara's such a tomboy, so… a lot of men have dumped her in the past because of that. Lita thinks she has it bad, but Amara has it worse. Everyone who isn't all that close to her thinks she's a man, so only other girls fall for her. As she's gotten older, no men have taken a liking to her. You're the first one in over six years, Kurama…" Amy looked down at the floor in pity for Amara.  
"Over six years!?" Kurama exclaimed, looking down the hallway at his girlfriend, who was still digging around in the closet looking for her jacket. "Amara…" "Please… don't tell her that I told you about all of that, alright? She'll feel like someone's carrying her, and, as you know by now, she doesn't like feeling so weak that someone has to carry her through anything." Amy stared up at the prince of Mercury, looking hopeful.  
Kurama merely smiled and nodded. "Alright, my lips are sealed." "Not too tightly that I can't kiss you, I hope," Amara stated, smirking slightly as she walked up to Kurama and kissed him straight on the lips.  
Kurama chuckled into the kiss and broke it early. "Amara, you flirt!" The blonde-haired tomboy just grinned at him. "Bye, guys! I'll see you all later!" "Bye, Amara!" Kurama and Amara drove to the closest restaurant and walked in, feeling confident about themselves this time. Once seated and finished with their ordering, the couple turned their attention to one another.  
"So, Kurama… have you been attacked by Hermes at all this past week?" Amara questioned.  
Kurama shook his head, saying, "No. I've been safe from an attack by him. How about you? Has he appeared and made another advance on you?" "Nope!" "Then we're both safe from him. He must've given up after realizing he couldn't separate us," Kurama said with a chuckle.  
Amara leaned across the table and nuzzled the redhead's cheek. "It would be better for him to do that since we're not splitting up." Kurama blushed at this public display of affection, then nuzzled Amara's forehead in return.  
Suddenly, both of them felt something surge through their bodies, making them go rigid, then collapsing onto the table.  
Amara and Kurama both opened their eyes and found themselves standing in a beautiful palace that was blue and seemed to have been made by people who were both very knowledgeable and were very fond of ice since the entire structure was made of the substance.  
"Where… are we…? Kurama asked.  
"I think we're in the palace of Mercury," Amara pointed out as she looked around herself.  
"What do you mean 'betrothed'!?" Kurama and Amara turned and saw a teenager with blue hair and blue eyes looking furious about something.  
"That boy…!!" Kurama began.  
"That's Hermes!!!" Amara finished. "I think we're seeing the past!" "That must be it since we haven't been noticed," Kurama agreed, then he and Amara turned their attention back to Hermes. When they did, they realized that there was a teenage girl and another teenage boy there, too. The other boy was Kurama as Mercury, and the girl was Amara as Uranus.  
""That's what Mom and Dad said," Mercury said, looking embarrassed.  
Uranus approached Hermes. "Don't be angry with Mercury. He and I are the first-born from our planets, plus we get along so well---" "But I like you, too!! You get along with me just as well as you do with him!!!" Hermes yelled back.  
"Listen, Hermes! You have to accept the decision of our mother and father!" Mercury yelled.  
"My sister doesn't like this idea either, Hermes, but it can't be helped! Mercury and I are gonna be married when we grow up, so get over it!!" Uranus screamed before turning and running off in anger.  
Mercury glared at Hermes and yelled, "Why do you have to make everything so difficult?! She and I both had a choice in whether we wanted to go through with this or not, and we both agreed to it. But you have to make it seem like she doesn't have a say in the matter, don't you!?" "She… chose to be with you…?" Hermes looked completely shocked upon hearing this.  
Mercury nodded, still glaring at his younger brother. "I suggest you apologize to Uranus for upsetting her, brother. If you don't, Mother and Father will give you a severe punishment!" The elder prince turned and stormed off.  
Hermes, once he was alone, dropped to his knees and began crying. "W- Why, U- Uranus…?" he hiccupped. "D- Didn't you kn- know how much I l- love you…?" Amara's eyes became softened at this sight. "I hurt him pretty bad by choosing you… but… I wanted to be with you… Mercury…" She turned to Kurama and embraced him.  
Kurama held the blonde in his arms as he watched his brother cry over losing Uranus. 'It was also my fault… Brother, I'll forgive you… but you have to stop your obsession over Amara! You're hurting her more than you're hurting me, so stop it! Just let her live her own life without messing it up anymore… Please, Hermes…" A brilliant light flashed, engulfing the lovers. When they came to, they found themselves in a hospital in side-by-side beds.  
"Amara…?" "I'm here, Kurama…" She reached out and took hold of his hand, smiling at him.  
"That wasn't a dream… was it?" "No, it wasn't. It was a scene… from our past…" "I guess… we should get some sleep now, huh…?" "Yeah… I guess we should. Night, Kurama…" 

YSE: Aw, how kawaii!  
Amara: Why do I feel the least bit OOC?  
YSE: Hey, it makes good romantic reading material!  
Kurama: I agree. Plus, you still kept your flirtatious ways a little.  
Amara: A little doesn't cut it!  
YSE: Hey, I'm the author of this fic, so what I say goes, baka!! makes a face at Amara  
Amara: Why you little---!!! starts wrestling with YSE again  
Yusuke: What's going on here?  
Kurama: sighs Eris-chan and Amara-san are fighting again.  
Yusuke: They need new hobbies, I swear... 


	8. The Challenge of a Brother

YSE: Sorry about taking forever, my fans!  
Amara: How do you know you have any left since you took so long?  
YSE: Sailor Ra sure seems to be a fan!  
Hotaru: Yes, she does have a fan, Amara.  
Amara: Whatever.  
YSE: Enough rambling! I don't own either YYH or SM, but I AM the creator of Hermes! Now on with the long-awaited chapter! And I owe a big thanks to Sailor Ra, a dedicated reader indeed!

Another calm, Hermes-free week passed by, and Kurama and Amara began to think it was over. However, it wasn't. It hadn't even truly begun just yet.  
"Amara! Kurama's waiting for you!" Michelle yelled up the stairs.  
"Tell him I'll be down in a moment!" she called back. Amara turned back to her mirror and inserted her trademark golden earring. "There, that should do it." She stood up and walked to her door.  
Suddenly, the whole room was filled with aquamarine-colored ice, including the door and windows!  
Amara looked around her in shock, then it hit her. "Hermes!" she yelled. "Show yourself!" Hermes appeared behind her and locked his arms around her, preventing her escape. "Uranus, my beautiful princess, have you acknowledged my superiority to Mercury yet?" Amara glared at the blue-haired prince over her shoulder and snapped, "You're not better than him! Kurama's the one who got the best of everything!" "True, he did," Hermes growled, tightening his grip. "He got you. You're better than your sister as far as I'm concerned. I wanted you, but my mother and father chose to give you to Mercury. It wasn't fair to me!" "But I loved him anyway! Let go of me, you bastard!" Amara broke out of Hermes' grip, then flung him into the wall. "Just leave me alone!" Hermes smirked and pointed a finger at the blonde-haired warrior of wind. Shackles made of ice clamped themselves around Amara's wrists, their chains appearing in Hermes' hands. "I'm not leaving without my much-deserved prize," he remarked. He and Amara both vanished in a flare of aquamarine light.  
A folded paper slowly fluttered to the floor in their place, and it read as follows:  
Mercury,  
I challenge you to a battle. Fight with me, so we shall know who belongs with the beautiful and magnificent Princess Uranus. I will defeat you, Brother. She is best with me. This battle of the princes of ice and knowledge shall prove at last that I am the better of us. Meet me to the north of your city, by the lake. You will be defeated, so all will know I am superior to you!

YSE: Uh oh, I don't think Kurama's gonna be too happy when he finds out about this! Dun dun dun... Yeah, whatever! Thanks again to Sailor Ra for inspiring me to continue this fic despite my incredibly huge writer's block! Wait for the next chapter! 


End file.
